UC-NRLF 


/ 


NEW  BOOKS 
FOR  OLD 


"v.  ^  ^  '^  *  A 


ST.  LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

< ^Tt-lquio,  mo. 


NEW  BOOKS 

FOR  OLD 

By  Mary  E.   Wheelock 

Chief  of  the  Binding  Department 

St.  Louis  Public  Library 


ST.   LOUIS 
1910 


SOHOOL 


NEW    BOOKS    FOB    OLD  J. 

NEW  BOOKS  FOR  OLD 
By  Mauy  E.  Wheelock^ 

CHIEF  OF  THE  BINDING   DEPARTMENT. 

With  the  rapid  increase  of  public  libraries,  the  dif- 
ficulty of  keeping  books  in  repair  has  compelled  the 
attention  of  librarians  everywhere,  and  much  progress 
has  been  made  towards  practical  binding.  But  in 
actual  intelligent,  friendly  co-operation  between  li- 
braries and  binders,  the  last  few  years  mark  an  im- 
portant period,  with  a  corresponding  improvement  in 
methods  as  a  result  of  such  co-operation. 

Time  was,  a  few  jears  ago,  when  the  St.  Louis 
Public  Library  was  served  by  four  or  five  binderies, 
though  from  the  very  nature  of  the  case  it  was  un- 
able to  direct  or  control  its  work  in  any  one  of  them 
to  any  very  satisfactory  extent.  Some  binders  did 
one  class  of  work  especially  well,  and  others  excelled 
in  other  points.  But  no  binder  could  be  quite  sure 
of  the  amount  or  character  of  the  work  that  would 
be  sent  to  him,  and  so  he  was  not  justified  in  increas- 
ing his  stock  of  material,  even  when  he  was  able  to 
buy  in  large  quantities  at  an  advantage,  because  of 
the  risk  of  having  it  left  on  his  hands  and  the  uncer- 
tainty of  being  able  to  utilize  it  for  other  classes  of 
customers.  Nor  did  he  feel  justified,  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  quantity  and  regularity  of  the  work,  in 
making  a  study  of  special  methods  and  processes 
suited  to  library  needs,  nor  in  installing  special  ma- 
chinery, involving  in  either  case  added  expense  for 
wliicli  there  was  no  provision  in  his  contract. 

Furthermore,  the  Library  can  not  guarantee  a 
definite  amount  of  work,  and  this  was  another  dis- 
advantage with  which  the  binders  had  to  contend. 

On  the  part  of  the  Library,  the  quality  of  work 
done  by  the  different  binderies  was  not  uniform,  and 
details  such  as  guarding  first  and  last  sections,  style 
of  cloth  joints,  styles  of  lettering,  etc.,  had  to  be 
gone  over  with  the  several  binders  individually,  some- 
times  with   indifferent   results. 


34l57o 


THF  Sr.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


Morocco  bindings,  described  on  page  41. 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD  3 

Some  binders  were  prompt  in  returning  work, 
while  others  whose  work  was  apt  to  be  superior,  were 
much  slower,  perhaps  because  other  work  crowded 
the  Library  binding  aside.  Books  for  which  there 
was  urgent  call  seldom  could  be  had  without  delay. 

Above  all,  the  quality  of  materials  could  not  be 
supervised,  although  the  binders  followed  the  general 
specifications  closely.  Intelligent  co-operation  be- 
tween the  binders  and  the  supervisor  was  difficult 
because  of  the  remoteness  of  the   binderies. 

Kosy  tales  of  money  saved  by  binderies  owned  and 
operated  by  libraries  were  eagerly  listened  to,  for 
few  things  appeal  more  strongly  to  librarians  than 
the  possibility  of  saving  money.     There  had  been  for 


^■^^^^^^n^^^s^^^^^l 

Bindery;    larger   room 

some  years  a  rather  indefinite  plan  for  a  bindery,  and 
the  time  came  when  conditions  seemed  to  warrant  an 
investigation  to  determine  the  initial  expense  of  in- 
stalling a  plant  and  the  advantages  to  be  derived 
from  its  operation  by  the  Library,  After  some  cor- 
respondence with  other  libraries  operating  binderies, 
one  of  our  former  binders  was  engaged  as  foreman, 
a  careful  estimate  of  actual  needs  was  made  and  a 
few  pieces  of  machinery  and  some  other  equipment 
were  assembled  in  a  basement  room  30  by  40  feet, 
opening  on  the  court.  A  staff  of  four  was  at  work 
late  in  January,  1913,  and  the  force  was  gradually 
increased  until  at  the  close  of  the  first  year  it  con- 
sisted of  thirteen  persons. 


THE  ST.  LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


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new  books  for  old  5 

Equipment  and  Staff. 

The  arrangement  of  the  quarters  is  shown  clearly 
on  the  aecompanjing  plan. 

The  cost  of  the  original  equipment,  not  including 
the  fitting  of  the  room  and  binding  supplies,  was 
but  little  more  than  |300,  for  it  was  only  experi- 
mental. By  careful  management  the  work  was  grad- 
ually systematized,  and  before  the  end  of  six  months 
a  considerable  saving  was  realized. 

Early  in  1914  the  Board  of  Directors  authorized 
an  expansion  of  the  bindery  quarters  to  include  a 
large  room  adjoining  the  space  originally  occupied, 
in  order  to  provide  more  favorable  conditions  for  the 
increasing  volume  of  work  and  for  the  addition  of 
new  members  to  the  bindery  staff. 

The  present  equipment  includes  the  following,  pur- 
chased as  needed  and  as  the  binding  appropriation 
permitted : 

Sheridan  cutter   (second   hand) $100.00 

Electric  motor  for  cutter 65.00 

Perforating   machine    (second   hand) 49.00 

Board  shears   135.00 

Gluing   machine   with   motor 225.00 

Embossing  press    150.00 

Standing  press   (second  hand) 15.00 

Standing  press  (new) 72.00 

2  Stuart's  finishing  presses 24.00 

3  job  backers    (second  hand) 55.00 

65  brass  bound   press  boards 177.00 

Type 276.00 

18-inch  card  cutter 10.00 

16-inch  wringer 7.00 

6  sewing  benches 14.00 

Gas    stoves,    glue    pots,    binders'    hammers, 

shears,  etc 28.00 

Cost  of  present  equipment $1,402.00 

A  plough-press,  a  hand-power  cutter,  finishing  tools 
and  other  tools,  the  property  of  the  bindery  foreman, 
Mr.  Haeckel,  and  the  donation  of  the  partial  outfit 
of  her  private  bindery  by  Miss  Mary  E.  Bulkley, 
complete  the  equipment. 


b  THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

The  bindery  staff  now  numbers  twenty-three  per- 
sons—fourteen women  and  nine  men.  The  average 
output  per  month  during  the  year,  including  all 
books,  large  and  small,  has  been  more  than  3,2G0 
volumes,  l>esides  job  work  amounting  to  more  than 
$400  in  labor  and  material. 

General  Policy. 

The  bindery  is  an  outgrowth  of  the  need  for  closer 
co-operation  between  library  and  binder.  Questions 
of  materials  and  methods  are  decided  by  the  depart- 
ment-head and  the  bindery  foreman,  and  supplies  are 
purchased  in  sufficient  quantities  to  last  for  one  to 
three  months  at  a  time,  often  directly  from  the  manu- 
facturers on  favorable  terms. 

If  it  seems  worth  while  to  try  some  materials  which 
have  not  been  tested,  small  quantities  are  bought, 
the  Library  serving  as  a  laboratory  for  such  tests. 
Records  are  kept  of  certain  books  upon  which  some 
new  method  has  been  tried,  and  the  books  are  looked 
up  after  a  time  to  see  how  the  experiment  has  worked. 
This  plan  is  followed  also  in  connection  with  testing 
certain  details  of  binding.  The  books  that  are  re- 
turned to  the  Binding  Department  for  slight  repairs, 
or  as  worn  out,  give  opportunity  for  determining 
whether  the  methods  or  materials  in  general  are  sat- 
isfactory with  the  various  classes  of  books.  A  prev 
ious  library  experience  of  several  years  elsewhere 
enables  the  department-head  to  understand  better  the 
Library's  needs  and  forecast  with  some  accuracy  the 
kind  of  treatment  that  certain  classes  of  books  are 
likely  to  receive  at  the  hands  of  readers.  This  famil- 
iarity with  the  situation  from  the  library  standpoint 
is  of  constant  service  in  selecting  materials  and  in 
other  ways. 

To  bind  a  book  better  than  is  necessary  for  its 
probable  use,  is  no  economy.  Unnecessary  expendi- 
ture, either  in  methods  or  materials,  is  merely  waste, 
and  the  prevention  of  such  waste  is  one  of  the  possi- 
bilities where  a  librarv  binderv  exists.  A  book  should 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD  / 

be  bound,  as  nearly  as  may  be,  so  that  under  ordinary 
conditions  the  cover  and  sewing  shall  last  as  long  as 
the  paper  is  respectable. 

In  Holmes'  verses  about  ^'The  Wonderful  One-Hoss 
Shay"  the  Deacon's  general  specifications  for  the  con- 
stri^ction  of  that  vehicle  apply  admirably  to  book- 
binding: 

"Fur,"  said  the  Deacon,  "  't's  mighty  plain 

That  the  weakes'  place  mus'  stan'  the  strain; 

'N'  the  way  to  fix  it,  uz  I  maintain. 

Is  only  jest 

T'  make  that  place  uz  strong  uz  the  rest." 

It  is  a  regrettable  fact  that  there  are  some  books, 
notably  those  printed  on  heavy  or  calendered  paper, 
which  require  more  than  their  share  of  care  and 
expense  in  rebinding,  and  whose  durability  after  all 
is  uncertain. 

Good  taste  in  binding  is  as  much  an  obligation 
which  the  Library  owes  to  the  users  of  the  books  as 
good  taste  in  the  selection  of  the  furniture  and  decora- 
tions of  the  building.  But  unlike  these,  instead  of 
having  an  initial  expense  in  the  original  equipment 
which  is  to  last  for  years  or  may  be  increased  as  con- 
ditions demand  or  as  funds  are  available,  the  amount 
of  binding  grows  each  year  with  the  increase  and  use 
of  the  Library's  collection  of  books,  and  a  proportion- 
ate increase  in  the  binding  fund  is  imperative  or  the 
library  suffers  at  one  of  its  chief  sources  of  supply. 
As  all  the  books  are  represented  in  the  catalogue  and 
the  newer  books  are  listed  in  the  late  library  bulle- 
tins, the  readers  who  are  asking  for  them  are  not 
always  satisfied  with  the  information  that  they  are 
"out  of  repair"  or  "have  gone  to  the  bindery." 

Rarely  if  ever  will  there  be  a  surplus  in  the  binding 
fund  even  with  the  most  careful  calculation,  and  that 
there  will  be  more  work  than  it  will  be  possible  to 
accomplish  with  the  money  available  for  binding  is 
more  than  likely.  A  consistent  course  may,  however, 
be  attempted,  which  includes  in  its  general  aim  dura- 


8  THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBUARY 

bility,  economy  aiid  artistic  appearance,  and  to  some 
extent  combines  all  these  features. 

Variety  in  style  and  color  is  an  important  con- 
siderjition  in  this  connection,  making  it  possible  in 
some  snmll  degree  at  least,  to  give  boolvs  an  indi- 
viduality even  in  their  second  bindings.  Often  this 
individuality  in  bindings  may  serve  as  an  aid,  how- 
ever slight,  in  recognizing  the  book  quickly  on  the 
shelves.  This  policy  is  directly  opposed  to  the  cus- 
tom followed  to  some  extent  a  few  years  ago,  of 
making  library  bindings  uniform,  or  of  binding  each 
class  of  books  in  a  different  color— children's  books 
in  red,  for  example.  This  new  policy  of  variety  does 
not  apply,  of  course,  to  volumes  of  sets  nor  to  files 
of  periodicals  and  continuations,  wliich  obviously 
should  be  bound  uniformly,  though  with  whatever 
variations  may  be  deemed  advisable  in  the  case  of 
individual  sets. 

How  Books  Are  Damaged. 

The  sight  of  the  ambulance  trucks  bearing  the  poor 
disabled  books  to  the  book  hospital  after  the  desperate 
onslaught  of  the  readers,  is  suggestive  of  the  ravages 
of  war. 

It  is  remarkable  how  quickly  valuable  things  may 
be  damaged  or  even  ruined ;  the  time  required  to 
repair  the  injury  is  often  quite  out  of  proportion  to 
the  damage  done.  A  cut  or  bruise  on  the  hand  is 
carefully  attended  to  by  Mother  Nature  without  much 
thought  on  our  part,  but  these  injuries  to  inanimate 
things  often  require  considerable  care  and  skill. 
Erasing  pencil  marks,  mending  tears,  removing  ink- 
spots  and  other  spots,  sometimes  even  washing  the 
soiled  leaves;  the  removal  of  notices  which  w'ere 
pasted  in  the  books  in  other  days  with  the  vain  hope 
of  lessening  the  trend  toward  destructiveness  on  the 
part  of  some  users  of  the  library — all  these  are  neces- 
sary to  the  respectable  appearance  of  the  books  to 
be  bound. 

The  use,  or  misuse,  of  the  books  by  some  of  the 
children  is  one  of  the  most  discouraging  aspects  from 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD 


9 


the  point  of  binding  and  repair.  True,  children  who 
have  no  clean,  comfortable  places  in  which  to  sit  and 
read  need  the  books  more  than  those  who  are  more 
fortunate.  And  it  must  be  said  that  not  all  of  these 
children  are  deliberately  destructive.  But  for  them 
the  too  free  access  to  books  may  not  be  an  unmixed 
blessing,  and  the  expense  of  maintaining  a  collection 
of  children's  books  in  a  section  of  the  cit}^  convenient 
to  these  classes  of  readers  must  be  far  out  of  pro- 
portion to  the  number  served. 

In  this  Libraiy  the  use  of  envelopes  in  which  adver- 
tising matter  is  received  through  the  mails,  helps  to 
protect  the  books  en  route  between  the  Libraiy  and 


Fond  of  books 


the  homes.  And  when  the  suggestion  that  the  book 
is  clean  or  new  or  that  it  would  be  spoiled  by  the 
rain  accompanies  the  use  of  the  envelope,  the  child 
may  acquire  some  feeling  of  responsibility  in  the 
matter.  But  if  the  book  is  returned  in  bad  condition 
and  a  fine  is  charged  or  his  card  is  withheld,  or  both, 
he  is  likely  to  feel  a  keener  sense  of  his  obligation 
than  before. 

A  story-hour  campaign  of  education  bearing  on  the 
care  and  treatment  of  books  might  be  worth  trying. 
Children  who  have  never  bought  a  book  nor  owned 
one,  and  to  whom  the  library  books  are  as  free  as 
water,  cannot  be  expected  to  be  interested  in  making 


10 


TUB  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


them  last  as  long  as  possible.  When  a  child  returns 
a  book,  soiled  and  torn,  with  pencil  marks  as  evi- 
dence that  it  contributed  to  little  brother's  pleasure 
also,  the  desk  assistant  rarely  has  time  to  ascertain 
these  facts  and  call  the  offender  to  account  for  the 
injury.  Another  book  is  therefore  issued  to  be  treated 
in  the  same  way. 

Impossible  as  it  may  seem,  the  injury  to  books 
as  they  are  handled  and  shelved  in  a  library  may  be 
as  real  and  as  serious  as  that  inflicted  by  the  thought- 
less patron  outside.     Care  of  books  is  as  important 


Two   MORE   BOOK-I.OVERS 


as  repair,  and  many  a  dollar  might  be  saved  if  this 
were  thoroughly  understood.  The  lack  of  proper 
book-supports  or  the  improper  use  of  them ;  the  crowd- 
ing of  the  shelves  so  that  an  attempt  to  take  a  book 
from  the  shelf  results  in  severe  strain  to  the  top  of 
the  back  if  it  Joes  not  actually  tear  it;  the  piling 
of  books  one  on  top  of  another  on  trucks  or  on  tables, 
until  the  whole  pile  topples  over— these  are  some  of 
the  things  that  hasten  the  books  to  the  hospital  just 
as  surelv  as  legitimate  use. 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD  H 

Books  should  be  placed  on  the  trucks  in  the  same 
way  and  with  as  much  care  as  on  the  shelves — never 
on  the  front  edges,  for  this  strains  and  weakens  the 
joints,  sometimes  actually  forcing  the  book  out  of 
the  cover. 

The  dropping  of  books,  particularly  of  large  or 
heavy  ones,  is  liable  to  injure  seriously  the  sewing 
or  the  backs,  though  the  broken  stitches  or  weakened 
joints  may  not  be  evident  at  first. 

A  visit  to  a  well-ordered  bindery  serves  to  impress 
one  with  the  regard  paid  there  to  the  proper  handling 
of  books.  In  the  course  of  binding  each  book  is 
handled  from  thirty-five  to  forty  times,  which  means 
constant  care  where  4,000  to  5,000  books  are  in  the 
bindery  at  one  time.  The  arrangement  of  piles  of 
books  so  that  the  backs  alternate,  first  to  the  right 
and  then  to  the  left,  or  at  a  slight  angle  to  prevent 
toppling,  is  a  very  simple  matter,  and  the  principle 
is  worthy  of  adoption  in  any  place  where  books  are 
handled  in  quantities. 

Occasionally  the  methods  of  the  libraries  themselves 
have  been  known  to  prove  detrimental  to  the  books, 
although  they  may  have  been  prompted  by  the  desire 
to  protect  them.  Some  years  ago  the  small  library  of 
extremely  limited  appropriation  looked  upon  the  per- 
forating stamp  bearing  the  name  of  the  library  some- 
wliat  as  the  homeless  working  girl  might  look  upon 
diamonds  and  fine  furs — as  a  luxury  for  the  large,  rich 
library,  impossible  of  attainment  by  others.  The  pro- 
tests from  users  of  libraries  in  recent  years  regarding 
the  partial  mutilation  of  the  leaves  by  these  stamps 
have  had  a  tendency  to  decrease  their  use.  In  the  opin- 
ion of  some,  the  perforator  is  of  undeniable  value  for 
expensive  or  illustrated  works,  provided  the  perfora- 
tion can  be  made  without  defacing  the  reading  matter 
or  ruining  the  details  of  the  illustrations.  But  for 
ordinary  books  of  poor  quality  of  paper  its  use  is  a 
positive  detriment  in  many  instances.  The  title  page 
and  first  and  last  pages  of  the  text  are  most  often 
selected   as  suitable  places   for  perforation.     As   it 


12  THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

1kii)ikmis,  these  are  the  very  leaves  sul)jecte(l  to  the 
hardest  wear,  and  when  they  are  perforated  the  ques- 
tion of  repair  is  all  the  more  difficult  or  lioi)eless. 

Where  it  is  desirable  to  use  the  perforator,  it  would 
seem  that  certain  pages  farther  towards  the  middle 
of  the  book  might  be  selected  with  no  lessening  of 
the  value  of  the  ownership  mark. 

On  discovering  a  loose  leaf  in  a  book  the  assistant 
sometimes  slips  it  out  so  that  the  edges  extend  beyond 
the  covers,  for  fear  that  it  may  be  overlooked  in  re- 
pairing the  book.  Valuable  books  have  been  seriously 
damaged  by  this  misplaced  care,  and  the  repair  of 
others  is  made  more  difficult  as  a  result  of  tears  and 
actual  mutilations  while  such  books  are  in  transit 
to  the  repair  division.  A  slip  laid  in  the  book  where 
there  is  a  torn  or  loose  leaf  should  be  sufficient  to 
insure  proper  attention. 

In  handling  a  new  book  which  is  more  or  less 
reluctant  to  open  flat,  the  average  person,  perhaps, 
will  force  it  so  that  it  may  be  more  easily  held  open, 
thereby  injuring  the  sewing,  or  the  backing,  or  both, 
in  frequent  instances. 

We  are  told— and  there  is  considerable  truth  in  the 
statement— that  if  new  books  are  opened  properly 
when  first  received,  a  few  leaves  at  a  time,  alternating 
back  and  front  (every  librarian  knows  the  process), 
the  early  breaking  of  the  backs  is  avoided.  Suppos- 
edly this  would  apply  only  to  w^ell-bound  books. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  in  how  many  libra- 
ries this  ounce  of  prevention  is  a  thing  of  regular 
practice,  and  to  know  what  appreciable  advantage 
results  in  the  way  of  prolonging  the  lives  of  the  books 
in  their  original  bindings. 

Paper  and  Editions. 
The  responsibility  for  a  large  proportion  of  our 
binding  troubles  is  traceable  to  the  inferior  grades 
of  paper  used  in  the  making  of  books  since  wood-pulp 
has  been  so  largely  substituted  for  rags.  The  paper 
in  the  books  made  prior  to  the  use  of  wood-pulp  was 
a  marvel  of  good  quality,  as  it  seems  to  us  now; 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD  13 

there  was  no  necessity  then  for  special  methods  of 
sewing,  everything  being  sewed  "straight  on"  or  "two 
on,"  through  the  folds  of  the  sections;  and  there  was 
little  trouble,  presumably,  with  leaves  wearing  loose 
on  the  folds.  In  recent  years,  however,  between  the 
spongy  paper  that  cuts  so  easily  with  the  sewing,  and 
the  calendered  and  other  heavy  papers  that  require 
so  much  extra  care,  the  problem  of  sewing  has  claimed 
the  serious  consideration  of  all  binders  of  library 
books. 

Where  titles  to  be  purchased  come  in  but  one  edi- 
tion, the  books  are  usually  bought  regardless  of 
paper.  But  when  more  editions  than  one  are  avail- 
able there  are  frequently  other  claims  for  considera- 
tion besides  that  of  paper— editor,  illustrator,  type, 
cover,  or  price,  for  example. 

Notwithstanding  the  variable  quality  of  paper  in 
many  of  the  inexpensive  editions  of  copyrighted  books, 
issued  by  various  publishers,  they  are  a  distinct  boon 
to  libraries,  large  and  small,  whose  book  funds  are 
inadequate.  In  many  cases  the  paper  is  as  good,  or 
nearly  as  good  for  library  use,  as  that  in  the  regular 
editions,  although  the  test  of  time  might  give  a  verdict 
in  favor  of  the  more  expensive  editions.  But  so  much 
of  the  popular  fiction  is  worn  out  in  three  to  five 
years  that  the  question  of  deterioration  as  affected 
by  time  hardly  enters  into  the  consideration. 

A.  C.  McClurg  &  Company  of  Chicago,  and  prob- 
ably other  large  book  dealers,  furnish  lists  of  some 
of  these  editions,  containing  titles  which  are  com- 
paratively well  bound  and  suited  to  library  purchase. 

Ordinarily,  books  having  narrow  margins  are  un- 
desirable for  public  libraries  because  of  the  difficulty 
of  re-sewing  without  encroaching  too  closely  on  the 
print.  Many  titles  in  standard  fiction  and  other  old 
copyrights  have  been  published  in  "handy  volume," 
"India  paper"  or  "pocket"  editions.  These  are  ad- 
mirably suited  to  the  purposes  for  which  they  are 
published,  namely,  for  the  use  of  individuals  desiring 
a  volume  of  light  weight  to  read  on  street-car  or  train. 


14  THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

or  for  an  inexpensive  and  compact  book  for  one's 
private  library.  But  the  binding  is  seldom  better 
than  in  the  ordinary  fiction,  and  not  only  do  the  nar- 
row margins  increase  the  binder's  difficulties,  but  af- 
ter the  book  is  bound  the  margin  of  perhaps  one-fourth 
or  one-half  of  an  inch  is  out  of  proportion  to  the 
printed  page,  and  gives  the  impression  that  the  binder 
has  been  careless  in  trimming  the  edges. 

However,  there  are  various  possible  uses  in  the 
library  for  these  small  editions,  such  as  for  vacation 
loans,  where  several  books  are  issued  to  one  person 
for  a  period  of  several  weeks  or  months  in  summer, 
and  in  many  instances  are  taken  on  vacation  trips; 
for  traveling-library  loans  by  parcel-post,  or  for  hos- 
pital loans.  In  cases  like  these  the  objectionable 
narrow  margins  would  not  be  considered  to  outweigh 
the  advantages  of  light  weight  and  compactness. 

Methods. 

Detailed  records  of  the  methods  in  use  in  the  mod- 
ern library  binderies  of  this  country  are  conspicuous 
b}'  their  absence.  None  is  known  to  the  writer  except 
the  volume  in  Mr.  Dana's  series  and  the  material 
formerly  issued  by  the  Pacific  Library  Bindery  of 
Los  Angeles 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  publication  of  Bindery 
Talk,  which  was  edited  at  the  latter  institution,  and 
which  contained  a  series  of  articles  on  binding,  along 
v.'ith  other  very  useful  and  practical  material,  has 
been  suspended,  presumably  for  lack  of  interest  and 
support  on  the  part  of  libraries  throughout  the 
country. 

It  is  hoped,  therefore,  that  this  article  on  binding 
procedure  may  invite  contributions  and  exchanges  of 
methods  among  library  binderies,  commercial  and 
otherwise,  which  shall  result  in  placing  at  the  dis- 
posal of  all  binders  the  working  details  of  practical 
up-to-date  bookbinding  for  libraries. 

It  will  be  obvious  that  in  the  preparation  of  this 
report,  the  average  librarian  and  the  possible  general 

•The  above  was  written  hefore  the  appearance  of  Mr.  A.  L.  Bailey's 
book  on   Library  Book-binding   (White  Plains,    1916). 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD 


15 


reader  have  been  in  mind  rather  than  those  librarians 
and  specialists  in  binding  who  have  made  a  careful 
study  of  the  intricacies  involved  in  making  over  books. 
Presumably  the  library  assistant  in  charge  of  the 
binding  not  only  is  familiar  with  the  needs  of  the 
library,  but  has  some  general  knowledge  of  binding 
methods,  although  she  must  concede  to  the  binder 
the  skill  and  ingenuity  to  adapt  the  details  of  his 
work  to  library  requirements.  On  the  part  of  the 
binder,  the  adjustment  of  his  methods  to  library  con- 
ditions is  of  first  importance  and  necessitates  contin- 
ual vigilance. 


"Before  taki>-g" 

The  efficiency  of  the  bindery  is  in  a  considerable 
degree  dependent  on  the  proper  preparation  of  the 
books,  periodicals,  pamphlets,  etc.,  which  are  to  be 
bound.  A  bindery  operated  by  a  library  has  some 
advantages  over  the  usual  commercial  bindery.  With 
a  little  planning,  the  books  may  be  furnished  for 
binding  in  similar  lots  and  always  with  some  dupli- 
cate titles.  Anticipating  this  frequent  duplication, 
leather  backs  for  those  books  of  which  the  library 
buys  numerous  copies  may  be  lettered  in  advance  on 
the  embossing  press,  and  the  cloth  covers  of  small 
books  may  be  made  and  lettered  in  the  same  wav 


16  THE  ST.  LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

before  they  are  put  on  the  books.  Where  it  is  pos- 
sible to  cut  materials  in  quantities,  there  is  a  con- 
siderable saving  in  labor,  which  represents  about 
two-thirds  of  the  cost  of  the  book.  The  purchase  of 
materials  in  quantities,  sometimes  at  special  prices, 
results  in  a  substantial  saving  in  the  course  of  a 
year. 

A  well-bound  book  represents  a  degree  of  care 
and  detail  in  the  making  which  only  those  directly 
concerned  with  binding  can  appreciate.  While  in 
general  the  books  are  treated  much  alike,  there  are 
often  special  conditions  which  require  special  treat- 
ment. 

As  far  as  practicable,  the  different  classes  of  work 
— the  fiction  and  other  books  of  medium  size,  the 
reference  books,  small  juveniles,  music,  magazines, 
books  for  which  there  is  urgent  need,  etc.— are  kept 
in  separate  lots,  as  they  pass  through  the  successive 
processes  in  the  bindery.  This  arrangement  makes  it 
possible  usually  to  locate  a  book  for  which  there  may 
be  an  unexpected  call,  or  enables  the  reference  assist- 
ant to  satisfy  an  exigent  patron  by  producing  a  de- 
sired book,  even  if  it  is  in  an  unfinished  condition. 

Sewing. 

For  years  binders  of  library  books  have  struggled 
with  the  problem  of  sewing.  Formerly  there  was 
the  complaint  that  the  books  were  used  too  long 
and  mended  too  much  before  they  were  sent  to  be 
bound,  so  that  if  they  were  to  be  sewed  through  the 
sections — "straight  on"— the  necessary  stripping  of 
the  folds  with  paper  resulted,  after  the  sewing  was 
finished,  in  a  "high  back,"  that  is,  a  back  thicker  than 
the  front  edge  of  the  book. 

Sewing  by  the  whipstitch  method,  as  done  by  many 
binders,  was  apt  to  tear  the  inner  margins  if  the 
books  were  forced  open — which  was  a  common  occur- 
rence because  they  seldom  opened  well,  the  stitches 
being  uneven  in  depth  and  the  sections  being  too 
tliick,  as  a  rule. 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD 


17 


The  sewing  machine  was  employed  by  certain  bind- 
ers, each  section  being  stitched  flat  along  the  inner 
margin  with  stitches  varying  from  1-4  to  1-2  inch 
in  length  and  the  sections  being  sewed  regularly. 
Provided  the  sewing  was  well  done,  this  was  among 
the  more  satisfactory  methods  of  dealing  with  books 
in  bad  condition  or  printed  on  bad  paper,  until  over- 
cast-sewing, with  perforations  to  insure  even  stitches, 
came  into  use. 


A  SEWING-BE^XH  OF  BOOKS  IN  PROCESS  OF  SEW- 
ING. The  extending  edges  of  end  papers 
indicate  the  separation  of  the  different 
books. 

The  earlier  examples  of  modern  overcast-sewing 
were  only  partially  satisfactory  because  the  perfora- 
tions, being  too  close  together,  weakened  the  leaves 
at  the  point  of  sewing  and  they  were  easily  torn 
away,  like  postage  stamps.  The  usual  distance  be- 
tween perforations  for  present-day  overcast-sewing  is 
about  1-2  inch. 


18  THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

Several  variations  in  the  stitches,  adapted  to  the 
quality  and  condition  of  the  paper,  are  in  use  in 
the  bindery  of  the  St,  Louis  Public  Library.  A  fiat 
opening  is  an  essential  feature,  not  only  as  a  matter 
of  convenience,  but  because,  unless  the  book  is  easily 
held  open,  someone  is  likely  to  force  it  back,  perhaps 
ruining  the  binding  thereby.  Books  of  heavy  or  stiff 
paper  require  special  care,  smaller  sections  being 
taken  up  in  sewing. 

Small  or  thin  books  and  pamphlets  with  good  mar- 
gins are  "stabbed,"  a  simple  yet  strong  method  of 
sewing.  Pamphlets  in  single  sections  are  sewed 
through  the  fold  of  the  section  to  a  strip  of  duck, 
and  fastened  securely  to  the  covers,  which  in  case  of 
thin  pamphlets  are  usually  of  pressboard. 

Where  conditions  pennit  it,  section-sewing  is  still 
in  good  standing,  although  the  stress  laid  on  other 
methods  and  the  large  proportion  of  books  which 
it  is  necessary  to  sew  otherwise  leave  little  to  be  said 
in  regard  to  this  primal  method. 

All  music  is  sewed  by  sections  and  on  tapes,  to 
insure  an  absolutely  flat  opening  for  the  music  rack 
—the  one  class  of  books  on  which  tapes  are  used. 

Cords  and  Tapes. — Practical  binders  seem  to  agree 
pretty  generally  that  the  emphasis  which  in  recent 
years  has  been  placed  on  the  use  of  tapes  in  sewing 
is  somewhat  out  of  proportion  to  the  benefits  realized. 
The  intelligence  and  care  necessary  to  produce  de- 
sired results  with  tapes  usually  make  as  good  a  book 
or  better  if  proper  cords  are  used  and  the  book  is 
properly  forwarded ;  for  no  amount  of  care  in  sewing 
will  make  up  for  a  lack  of  intelligence  in  forwarding. 

The  cords  lie  close  in  the  sawcuts  as  the  book  is 
sewed,  and  the  flexible  glue  which  is  applied  to  the 
back  works  in  around  the  soft  cords.  If  the  paper 
is  of  good  or  fair  quality,  the  cords,  when  glued  into 
the  sawcuts,  will  resist  a  good  part  of  the  strain 
commonly  supposed  to  fall  on  the  sewing. 

Frequently  books  are  found  with  the  cords  literally 
worn  or  cut  off  at  the  joints,  while  the  sewing  is  still 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD  19 

good.  Tliis  is  not  necessarily  a  fault  of  the  cords, 
but  may  be  either  a  failure  to  recognize  the  need  of 
something  more  than  cords  and  end  papers  in  the 
joint  to  secure  the  book  to  the  covers,  or  a  result  of 
carelessness  in  beating  down  the  cords  when  they 
are  laced  into  the  cover-boards;  or  the  use  of  cords 
which  are  too  small  may  be  responsible  in  part  for 
the  condition  of  the  joint. 

On  the  other  hand,  when  a  book  which  is  sewed  on 
tapes  begins  to  loosen  at  the  joints,  the  tapes  are 
likely  to  pull  away  from  the  back  of  the  book  and 
thus  loosen  the  sewing  as  well.  For  although  tapes 
are  stronger  than  cords,  they  cannot  be  so  firmly 
welded  into  the  back  of  the  book.  In  the  case  of 
whipstitched  books  of  ordinary  size,  neither  cords 
nor  tapes  are  of  any  special  use  except  to  hold  the 
covers. 

It  is  noticeable  that  publishers  sometimes  put  out 
library  editions  of  certain  titles  in  which  the  books 
are  sewed  on  tapes,  in  an  attempt  to  meet  library 
requirements.  The  sewing  as  done  in  the  bindery 
employed  by  a  large  publishing  house  will  hardly  be 
improved  by  the  use  of  tapes  unless  a  good  grade  of 
thread  and  extra  care  in  forwarding  are  combined 
with  the  tape  sewing.  Probably  few  of  the  binders 
in  these  large  establishments  understand  thoroughly 
the  library  requirements  or  have  opportunity  for 
studying  ways  and  means  for  meeting  them;  for  the 
library  trade  constitutes  but  a  small  part  of  their 
business. 

Second  Rebinding. — Hundreds  of  books  which  were 
sewed  by  sections  in  the  first  rebinding  have  been 
rebound  a  second  time  in  our  bindery,  the  overcast 
process  of  sewing  being  used.  A  large  proportion  of 
these  are  titles  in  fiction  whose  first  popularity  is 
past,  which  although  in  little  demand  are  still  useful 
in  the  library;  some  are  works  of  non-fiction,  many 
of  them  still  in  fair  demand  and  others  which  have 
only  occasional  use.  In  any  case,  the  books  have  been 
saved  to  the  library  for  the  life  of  the  bindings,  and 


20  THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

the  money  which  would  have  gone  to  replace  them 
if  they  had  been  withdrawn  now  may  be  used  for 
new  titles. 

Where  a  book  has  been  whipstitched  or  machine- 
stitched  in  a  previous  binding-,  tlie  inner  margins 
remaining  are  usually  too  narrow  to  make  a  book 
that  will  command  respect,  and  it  is  usually  better 
to  replace  it  with  a  new  copy. 

Cover  Materials. 

People  are  said  to  be  judged  by  the  clothes  that 
they  wear;  and  the  same  principle  is  true  in  a  certain 
degree  with  books,  although  the  frequent  remark  of 
readers  who  insist  that  they  can  always  tell  a  good 
book  by  its  shabbiness,  might  seem  to  belie  the  sug- 
gestion. 

In  deciding  how  a  book  shall  be  bound,  the  cost, 
usually  penciled  after  the  title-page,  is  frequently 
consulted.  For  as  a  rule,  to  put  a  Grosset  &  Dunlap 
edition  of  a  novel,  costing  less  than  50  cents  net, 
in  a  half  morocco  binding,  or  to  spend  unnecessary 
time  in  sewing  a  15  or  20-cent  Cinderella  or  Sleeping 
Beauty,  when  to  stab  it  will  be  even  better,  consider- 
ing its  short  life,  is  obviously  unwarranted. 

The  hard  usage  of  the  new  and  otherwise  popular 
fiction  makes  it  imperative  that  the  binding  be  first 
serviceable  and  then  neat  and  attractive.  During 
the  past  year  considerable  leather,  largely  the  mod- 
erate-priced grades  of  the  various  brands  of  morocco, 
has  been  used  in  this  library  for  the  medium-priced 
current  fiction  and  juvenile  books,  but  the  steady 
increase  in  the  price  of  leathers  has  compelled  us  to 
return  to  a  great  extent  to  the  use  of  cloth. 

After  about  two  years'  trial  of  Pluviusin  (or  Gau- 
ette)  and  Fabrikoid  for  popular  books  of  ordinary 
size,  including  juveniles,  we  have  found  them  satis- 
factory in  the  main.  The  lettering  holds  well  and 
the  books  keep  their  shape  and  retain  their  good 
appearance  in  general.  For  juvenile  books  these 
waterproof  materials  are  particularly  appropriate,  as 
they  do  not  show  finger-marks  and  are  not  damaged 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD 


21 


bj  a  little  moisture.  The  corners  do  not  fray  badly 
with  wear,  and  the  books  may  be  washed  if  desired. 
A  less  expensive  grade  of  fabrikoid  more  nearly  pro- 
portionate to  the  value  of  the  books,  is  being  tried 
on  the  smaller  juveniles,  for  which  the  waterproof 
feature  is  even  more  important,  if  possible,  than  for 
the  larger  books. 

Regarding  fabrikoid  it  should  be  said  that  because 
of  some  shipments  in  which  the  odor  was  offensive, 
there  has  been  considerable  hesitation  on  the  part 
of  some  libraries  as  to  its  use.  The  manufacturers 
are  now  making  a  special  grade  for  binding,  and  it 
is  necessary  only  to  specify  the  "hard  book-finish  and 
odorless"  variety  to  secure  a  satisfactory  material. 


Backing  a  book 

Fiction  and  other  books  that  are  not  in  special 
demand,  and  old  books  which  are  rarely  used  are 
usually  bound  in  buckram.  But  where  buckram  is 
used  for  the  active  circulating  books,  the  backs  and 
corners  soon  become  spongy,  the  lettering  gradually 
wears  away,  and  the  books  take  on  a  disreputable 
appearance. 

Perhaps  it  should  be  explained  that  these  tales  of 
hard  wear  and  the  necessity  for  iron-clad  books  apply 


22  THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

in  a  far  less  degree  to  the  smaller  libraries  and  to 
branch  libraries  in  certain  classes  of  communities 
than  to  a  library  in  a  large  city  situated  in  a  moist 
climate  and  contending  with  the  problem  of  soft- 
coal  smoke. 

Buckram  is  used  to  a  large  extent  where  the  re- 
quirements are  not  so  exacting,  and  with  very  satis- 
factory results.  In  fact,  in  many  localities  art  vel- 
lum is  entirely  adequate  for  some  of  the  smaller  books 
for  which  we  use  fabrikoid. 

The  most  satisfactory  binding  for  the  larger  ani 
heavier  books  which  have  steady  use,  including  good 
editions  of  the  standard  poets  and  standard  fiction, 
is  a  good  grade  of  morocco  costing  at  present  from 
thirty  cents  per  square  foot  up.  The  morocco  backs 
usually  wear  well,  and  if  sides  of  waterproof  cloth 
are  used  the  books  are  not  easily  damaged  by  moist- 
ure or  finger  marks.  The  gold  lettering  remains  as 
long  as  the  books  are  usable,  and  the  good  appearance 
is  retained  in  a  satisfactory  degree  until  the  books 
are  worn  out. 

Art  vellum  is  used  for  thin  books  which  are  not 
much  in  demand,  and  for  music  where  the  number 
of  pages  does  not  warrant  a  heavier  material,  but 
where  something  better  than  a  pressboard  is  required. 

Pressboard,  which  we  buy  in  tan,  reddish  brown 
and  pearl  gray,  is  used  for  covers  for  thin  pamphlets, 
for  music  where  there  are  but  few  pages  in  a  volume, 
for  children's  picture-books  bought  in  embossed  paper 
or  light-weight  pasteboard  covers,  for  reference 
pamphlets  of  50  to  75  pages  which  are  likely  to  have 
only  occasional  use,  and  even  for  primers  and  other 
easy  books  whose  condition  does  not  justify  more 
expense  in  the  binding.  The  elimination  of  the  labor 
of  covering  the  books  where  pressboard  is  used  results 
in  a  considerable  saving  as  compared  with  the  use 
of  other  materials. 

For  the  backs  of  the  tan  and  reddish-brown  press- 
board  covers,  fabrikoid  or  art  vellum  in  bright  red  or 
tan  is  used,  while  a  soft  blue  art  vellum  goes  well 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD 


23 


with  the  pearl-gray.  The  use  of  medium  or  light 
shades  for  the  backs  makes  it  possible  to  letter  with 
carbon  paper  instead  of  with  gold,  which  results  in 
a  saving  of  both  time  and  material,  the  gold  being 
more  difficult  to  apply  and  far  more  expensive.  The 
backs  are  lettered  lengthwise  on  the  embossing  press 
either  before  or  after  they  are  put  on  the  pamphlets, 
as  may  be  most  convenient. 


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Cutting     the     cover-boards     avith     the     board- 
shears 

Leather. — Some  librarians  have  become  discouraged 
with  the  use  of  leather  for  binding.  It  is  not  an 
easy  matter  always  to  tell  what  is  good  and  what  is 
poor,  except  by  years  of  constant  practice  and  obser- 
vation in  the  use  of  leather.  And  unless  a  library 
owns  or  controls  its  bindery,  it  is  not  always  possible 
to  dictate  the  quality  of  materials.  Usually  the 
library  has  a  contract  schedule  of  prices  for  binding 
which  does  not  permit  the  use  of  the  better  grades 


24  THE  ST.  LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

of  leather,  and  the  binder  must  buy  what  he  can, 
perhaps  a  few  skins  at  a  time  and  at  a  disadvan- 
taj^eons  price;  for  tlie  library  binding  trade  is  apt  to 
be  fitful  in  (luantity  of  work,  in  frequency  of  lots 
for  bindini;'  and  in  specifications  of  materials.  Or 
if  the  binder  chances  to  be  somewhat  calculating  and 
to  save  himself  financially  he  deliberately  furnishes 
a  grade  inferior  to  that  agreed  upon,  the  librarian,  if 
not  an  expert,  may  be  none  the  wiser  until  the  books 
show  for  themselves  after  a  period  of  service.  And 
so  in  most  cases  the  library  gets  what  it  pays  for  and 
no  more;  which  after  all  is  entirely  fair. 

Leather  bindings  which  are  gradually  dissolving 
into  reddish  dust  that  leaves  its  mark  wherever  it 
touches,  or  which  are  worn  or  torn  away  at  the  top, 
are  a  familiar  sight  in  every  library.  Some  are  the 
leather  backs  in  which  the  books  were  originally  pur- 
chased, and  others  are  rebound  books,  some  of  them 
from  once-popular  binderies  whose  work  has  fallen 
into  disfavor  in  later  years.  These  conditions  account 
largely  for  the  lack  of  confidence  in  leather  on  the 
part  of  some  librarians.  Many  binders  used  to  sup- 
ply roan  (dyed  sheep)  which  has  a  pleasant  feel  when 
new,  or  buffing,  which  is  a  thin  split  of  cowhide, 
instead  of  the  better  grades  of  leather,  which  cost 
too  much  perhaps  for  the  price  received  for  binding. 

Knowledge  of  leather  fs  a  requisite,  in  connection 
with  bookbinding,  which  only  years  of  observation 
and  experience  in  handling  the  skins  can  give.  But 
after  all,  the  last  word  in  leather  is  never  said,  for 
with  the  different  processes  of  tanning  or  some  other 
variation  in  the  treatment  of  the  skins  which  affects 
the  quality,  and  with  the  excellent  imitations  in  the 
grain  which  are  always  on  the  market,  the  buyer  must 
be  continually  alert  if  uniformly  suitable  qualities 
are  to  be  maintained. 

The  prospective  purchaser  may  be  assured  by  the 
dealer — and  truthfully  so,  probably— that  the  article 
under  inspection  is  "real  leather."  But  while  this 
may  be  true,  the  "real  leather"  may  be  sheep,  either 


XEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD  la 

in  the  natural  color  or  dyed  (roan),  a  thick  enouj^h 
skin,  perhaps,  with  a  soft  gloss  and  pleasant  to  the 
touch,  but  nevertheless,  a  spongy  material  of  loose 
fiber,  not  serviceable  for  bookbinding.  Or  it  may  be 
a  skiver,  which  is  a  thin  split  of  sheepskin  such  as 
commonly  seen  on  passbooks  and  which  gives  way 
with  slight  strain. 

Of  a  skin  of  cowhide  three  splits  are  usually  made. 
The  outer  split  is  called  cowhide,  the  second  is  "li- 
brary cowhide,"  and  the  third  is  ''buffing."  Only  the 
best  cowhide,  the  outer  split,  is  suitable  for  binding, 
although  frequently  library  cowhide  and  buffing  are 
so  used.  "Russia  leather,"  which  is  a  Russian  cow- 
hide, was  formerly  considered  a  superior  leather,  but 
in  recent  j'ears  the  American  cowhide  has  taken  prec- 
edence over  the  Russian. 

Morocco,  which  is  a  goat-skin,  has  a  firm,  tough 
fiber,  if  properly  tanned,  the  skins  varying  in  thick- 
ness and  durability  according  to  the  grade,  and  is 
considered  the  most  suitable  leather  for  binding.  This 
fact  has  led  to  the  general  imitation  of  the  mo- 
rocco grain  on  leathers  of  inferior  grades.  Quantities 
of  sheepskin  and  cowhide  are  stamped  by  machinery 
cleverly  made  for  the  purpose,  with  the  various  grains 
of  morocco,  seal,  walrus  and  other  superior  leathers 
as  desired,  often  defying  any  but  an  expert  to  detect 
the  imitation. 

The  most  satisfactory  way  to  cope  with  the  leather 
situation  seems  to  begin  at  its  source;  to  buy  only 
of  reliable  dealers  and  to  refuse  to  accept  skins  in- 
ferior in  grade  to  the  samples  submitted  or  to  pre- 
vious shipments. 

Old  Leather  BacJxS. — The  picture  of  dilapidated 
backs  shown  on  another  page  illustrates  the  futility 
as  a  rule  of  using  leather  for  books,  fiction  or  other- 
wise, whose  first  popularity  is  past  or  for  which  there 
is  never  great  demand.  The  sewing  in  these  books 
remains  in  perfect  condition  because  they  have  been 
little  used,  but  the  leather  backs  have  deteriorated 
merely  from  exposure  to  air,  light,  heat,  gas,  etc.,  and 


26 


THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


not  from  actual  use.  Tlie  (luality  of  the  leather  wheu 
the  biudiug  was  new  was  evidently  poor,  although 
doubtless  they  looked  w^ell  when  first  bound  and  for 
a  year  or  two  afterwards. 

Oriyinal  Covers. — Among  the  pamphlets  and  books 
which  are  purchased  unbound  are  some  which  have 
attractive  and  even  artistic  front  covers.  ^Vhen  the 
books  are  bound  these  covers  are  pasted  on  the  new 
front  covers,  adding  materially  to  the  pleasing  ap- 
pearance of  the  books.  This  plan  is  followed  to  a 
limited  extent  in   rebinding  also,   where  books  have 


Sheep,  roan,  buffing  and  other  poor-grade  leather  bindings  in 
the  last  stages  of  decay 

distinctive  covers,  or  w^here  in  children's  books  there 
are  colored  illustrations.  To  provide  for  this  latter 
class,  pictures  are  saved  from  withdrawn  books  and 
are  kept  in  labeled  envelopes  or  discarded  book  covers 
in  the  bindery,  to  use  as  occasion  requires.  The  paper- 
covered  picture  books  for  children  are  given  press- 
board  covers  when  new,  to  preserve  them,  and  with 
appropriate  pictures  from  this  collection  the  books 
are  made  live  and  interesting. 

Reference  Books. 

Every  library  has  the  discouraging  problem  of  ref- 
erence and  other  books  whose  leather  backs  have  be- 
come disintegrated,  though  otherwise  the  books  may 
be  in  go(xl  condition.  V^e  strip  a  book  of  this  char- 
acter of  its  back  and  covers,  whip  on  fly  leaves  with 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD 


27 


JOHNNY  CROW5 
GARDEN 

DRAVNBY 
LLiaLItBR<»KE 

Front  covers  of  publishers'  bindings  used  on  rebound  books 


28  THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

muslin  guards  and  sew  in  new  cords  part  way,  where 
the  old  cords  are  worn  of¥.  End  papers  are  sewed 
on,  the  ends  of  the  cords  are  frayed  and  pasted  flat 
to  the  back  of  the  book  and  to  the  muslin  joints,  and 
the  book  is  lightly  backed.  A  strip  of  canton  flannel, 
wide  enough  to  extend  over  the  back  and  three-fourths 
of  an  inch  beyond  the  muslin  joints,  is  pasted  on  the 
back  to  fasten  the  book  more  securely  to  the  cover; 
the  free  end  sheet  and  the  fly  leaf  are  pasted  together 
and  the  cloth  joint  is  inserted  into  the  split  cover 
boards.  The  book  may  be  finished  in  the  regular  way, 
with  a  loose  back.  Often  the  details  of  procedure 
must  be  varied  according  to  the  requirements  of  the 
individual  book. 

Then  there  are  the  rare  old  books,  frequently  out 
of  print,  duplicates  of  which  are  obtainable  only  at  a 
high  price,  while  some  can  hardly  be  duplicated  at  any 
cost.  The  paper  may  be  heavy  or  calendered,  and 
ready  to  crumble  with  handling,  although  the  text 
and  illustrations  may  be  valuable.  Perhaps  the  leaves 
are  cracking  at  the  joints  and  the  situation  looks  hope- 
less, although  the  binder  is  expected  to  make  them 
"as  good  as  new." 

In  the  case  of  a  large  art  book  where  text  and  il- 
lustrations are  printed  on  one  side  only,  the  heavy 
leaves  are  mounted  on  rather  fine,  light-weight  muslin, 
pressed  carefully  and  then  sewed,  the  book  being  cov- 
ered regularly.  For  the  books  of  ordinary  size  where 
this  condition  of  paper  exists,  all  leaves  are  mounted 
on  both  sides  with  Japanese  crepe  tissue.  When  fin- 
ished, the  presence  of  the  tissue  is  difficult  to  detect, 
and  the  book  is  good  for  years  of  moderate  service. 
For  some  reference  books  having  fine  print,  whose 
paper  is  in  a  precarious  condition,  the  front  leaves 
are  mounted  on  one  side  with  a  grade  of  chiffon  ob- 
tainable at  about  fifty  cents  per  yard.  Through  the 
chiffon  the  print  shows  perfectly. 

The  mounting  of  the  leaves  requires  considerable 
skill.  The  greatest  care  must  be  exercised  in  select- 
ing paste  and  brush,  in  laying  on  the  fragile  leaves 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD  29 

and  in  pressing.  If  a  milky  cast  shows  over  the  leaf 
it  may  be  necessary  to  vary  the  special  formula  for 
the  paste  in  order  to  remedy  the  defect. 

In  the  occasional  instance  of  an  old  book  whose 
paper  can  not  be  sewed  without  breaking  or  crumb- 
ling, but  which  should  be  kept  in  the  Library,  although 
seldom  used,  the  back  is  trimmed  with  care  as  for 
whipstitching.  The  book  is  placed  in  the  job  backer, 
sawcuts  are  made,  the  back  is  given  a  coat  of  the  best 
flexible  glue  and  cords  are  laid  in  the  sawcuts  while 
the  glue  is  fresh  and  the  book  is  still  in  the  vise  of  the 
backer.  A  second  coat  of  glue  is  thoroughly  worked 
into  the  back  and  around  the  cords  in  the  sawcuts. 
End  papers  with  good  muslin  joints  are  added  and  the 
book  is  slightly  rounded  and  backed  with  extreme 
care.  The  book  is  held  together  at  the  back  by  the 
flexible  glue,  aided  by  the  cords  which  are  thoroughly 
imbedded  and  glued  into  the  sawcuts ;  and  with  proper 
care  it  should  last  until  the  paper  finally  crumbles. 
An  attempt  to  sew  such  a  book  by  sections  would  re- 
sult in  the  paper's  cracking  at  the  edges  of  the  mend- 
ing strips  necessary  to  strengthen  the  folds;  or  if  it 
were  overcast  in  the  ordinary  way  the  sewing  would 
cut  the  paper  and  ruin  the  book. 

In  rare  cases  where,  from  the  brittle  condition  of 
the  paper,  it  may  seem  impossible  to  sew  the  book,  the 
outside  of  the  fold  of  each  section  may  be  stripped 
with  light-weight  muslin,  and  the  sections  overcast, 
the  muslin  strips  preventing  the  thread  from  cutting 
through  the  brittle  paper. 

When  in  the  process  of  repairing  old  books  it  is 
found  difficult  to  fasten  the  covers  securely  to  the 
book,  a  tight  back  sometimes  helps  to  hold  book  and 
cover  together,  though  the  appearance  is  not  so  good 
as  that  of  a  loose  back. 

The  edges  of  reference  books  are  seldom  trimmed  in 
rebinding,  being  in  better  condition  as  a  rule  than  the 
edges  of  issuable  books.  Besides,  the  margins  in  many 
of  the  large  reference  books  are  already  too  narrow 
and  further  trimming  endangers  the  text  by  making 
tears  more  frequent. 


30 


THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


Sets. 
When  one  volume  of  a  work  of  two  or  more  vol- 
umes is  to  be  rebound,  a  note  is  made,  on  a  slip  or 
card,  of  the  material  and  color  decided  upon,  with  the 
author,  title,  volume  and  accession  numbers  of  the 
book  to  be  bound.  In  order  that  other  volumes  may 
be  lettered  uniformly  with  this  one,  a  rubbing  is  made 
of  the  back  of  the  book  when  it  is  returned  from  the 
bindery,  unless  the  binder  already  has  done  so  by 
prearrangement.  This  rubbing  is  clipped  to  the  card 
of  instructions  previously  made,  and  is  sent  with  sub- 


Se\'eral  volumes  of  a  large  set  rebound  at  different  times 
BY  different    binders.     Misfits,    for    want    of    a    proper 

RUBBING. 


sequent  volumes  to  be  rebound.  All  cards  of  instruc- 
tions, with  or  without  rubbings,  are  filed  alphabet- 
ically for  convenient  reference. 

A  file  of  this  kind  grows  rapidly,  a  few  instruction 
cards  being  added  at  a  time,  and  the  volumes  of  sets 
on  the  shelves  gradually  come  to  look  as  if  they  be- 
longed together.  The  saving  of  time  and  the  improved 
appearance  of  the  books  on  the  shelves  resulting  from 
such  a  file  make  it  worthy  of  a  place  in  a  list  of 
efficiency  methods.    Without  some  record  of  the  kind 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR   OLD 


31 


the  sets  in  the  library  are  likely  to  become  an  eye- 
sore. 

When  one  of  a  set,  no  other  volumes  of  which  have 
been  rebound,  is  received  for  binding,  or  when  all  vol- 
umes of  a  work  are  to  be  rebound  at  the  same  time, 
the  original  cover  is  taken  as  a  general  guide  for  the 
new  binding,  the  same  color  being  used  where  prac- 
ticable. 

When  there  are  in  the  library  duplicate  sets  of 
standard  fiction,  each  title  in  two  or  more  volumes. 


3<ai 

1* 

J-  ' 

B, 

S 

L.a  ' 

! 

1 

1 

1 

A  SMALL  PART  OF  A  LOT  OF  LaXG  FAIRY  BOOKS.  BOUGHT  IN  THE 
SHEETS  AND  BOUND  IN  THE  LIBRARY  BINDERY.  THE  OPEN  SHEET 
AT  THE  FRONT  SHOWS  THE  MANNER  OF  PRINTING,  THE  PAGES 
FALLING   INTO  PROPER   ORDER  WHEN   FOLDED. 

as  in  the  case  of  Dickens,  Eliot,  Dumas,  etc.,  a  stand- 
ard style  of  lettering  is  adopted  which  obviates  the 
necessity  for  rubbings ;  e.  g. :  Author,  1 1-2  inches  from 
top  of  book ;  title,  1 1-2  inches  below  author ;  volume 
number,  1  inch  below  title. 

Libraries  usually  have  a  file  of  instructions  for  the 
binding  of  periodicals  and  continuations.  The  binder, 
whether  under  the  direct  supervision  of  the  library 
or  otherwise,  keeps  rubbings  of  all  these,  to  insure 


32  THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

uniformity  of  lettering;  as  the  new  volumes  come  for 
bindinjij.  The  necessity  for  rubbings  as  well  as  for 
specific  binding  instructions  is  emphasized  by  the  il- 
lustration on  another  page. 

In  making  a  rubbing,  the  lower  edge  of  the  paper, 
which  sliould  be  rather  fine,  pliable  and  of  light 
weight,  should  be  placed  exactly  even  with  the  lower 
edge  of  the  book  and  held  firmly  in  place.  The  im- 
pression is  made  with  a  lumber  pencil,  a  carbon  pencil, 
or  an  ordinary  No.  2  pencil  having  a  long  point  and 
used  sidewise  of  the  lead,  if  the  others  are  not  at 
hand.  Faithful  rubbings  may  be  made  and  yet  re- 
sult in  failure  as  far  as  uniformity  is  concerned,  if 
the  lower  edge  is  not  indicated  exactly.  The  rub- 
bing is  laid  on  the  cover,  the  lower  edge  being  even 
with  the  lower  edge  of  the  book,  and  the  exact  height 
is  marked.  Additional  instructions  may  be  written 
on  the  margin. 

When  this  exact  rubbing  is  made  the  lettering  will 
show  in  even  lines  at  the  same  height  as  when  the 
books  stand  on  the  shelves,  and  the  covers  will  be 
of  uniform  height. 

Some  binders  use  the  rubbing  as  a  guide  for  the 
style  of  type  and  spacing  only,  and  set  the  skiver  label, 
if  one  is  used  for  the  lettering,  one  inch  from  the  top 
cf  the  book.  Although  the  variation  in  height  of  the 
different  volumes  of  the  set  may  be  slight,  the  result 
often  will  be  just  irregular  enough  to  offend  the  eye. 

Special  Collections. 

Besides  the  regular  binding,  a  large  proportion  of 
the  collection  of  music-scores,  a  lot  of  1,000  Lang  fairy 
books  purchased  in  the  sheets,  and  several  hundred 
volumes  of  the  Shakespeare  collection  which  were  in 
need  of  repair,  have  been  rebound  during  the  past 
year. 

Somewhat  more  than  1,000  volumes  of  the  collec- 
tion of  music-scores,  the  first  to  be  taken  in  hand, 
were  rebound  in  installments  following  an  expansion 
of  the  music  classification,  which  made  necessary 
many  changes  in  tlie  class-numbers,  lettered  on  the 


NEW    BOOKS    B^OR    OLD 


33 


backs  of  the  volumes.    This  necessity  led  further  to  a 
general  overhauling  of  the  collection. 

Near  the  close  of  1915  the  Library  purchased  from 
the  publishers  a  lot  of  1,000  Lang  "colored"  fairy 
books  in  the  sheets,  with  original  covers  separate. 
They  were  sewed  in  the  bindery  by  the  special  over- 
cast method  adapted  to  rebinding  the  Lang  books  and 
other  books  printed  on  a  similar  grade  of  calendered 


A    TRUCK-LOAD    OF    THE    FINISHED    LANG    FAIRY   BOOKS. 

On  top  are  some  with  the  original  covers. 

paper.  The  backs  were  of  Niger  kid,  costing  at  that 
time  16  cents  per  square  foot,  and  in  colors  ap- 
propriate to  the  titles.  Tlie  sides  were  of  fabrikoid 
corresponding  in  color  to  the  leather  backs. 

The  original  front  covers  were  pasted  on  these  fabri- 
koid sides,  and  in  some  cases  the  original  backs  were 
pasted  on  the  leather  backs,  thus  preserving  very 
closely  the  original  appearance  of  the  books. 

The  sewing  in  these  bindings  will  hold  as  long  at 
least  as  the  paper  in  the  books  is  respectable,  for  the 
Lang  books  have  very  hard  service.  The  leather  backs 
will  ordinarily  outwear  the  paper,  whereas  the  orig- 
inal cloth  backs  give  out  with  a  very  few  issues.    The 


34 


THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


original  appearance  of  the  books  is  retained  in  tlie 
main  for  the  life  of  the  book. 

Not  only  will  there  be  no  loss  of  time  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  books  as  formerly,  when  several  weeks 
mioht  elapse  before  they  could  be  returned  to  circu- 
lation, but  it  is  possible  to  bind  them  to  much  bettor 
advantage  in  the  larger  quantity,  with  consequent 
saving  of  expense  in  labor. 

While  the  sewing  of  this  lot  of  1,000  copies  was  in 
progress,  all  the  cover  boards,  leather  for  backs,  fabri- 
koid  for  sides,  etc.,  were  cut;  and  the  leather  backs 
were  lettered  on  the  embossing  press— from  six  to  one- 


VarIETY   IX    STYLE   OF  LETTERING,   ILLUSTRATED   BY    EXAMPLES    FROil 

THE   Shakespeare  collection 

hundred  copies  of  one  title — before  they  were  put  on 
the  books,  thus  saving  the  time  usually  required  for 
lettering  after  the  processes  of  forwarding  are  com- 
pleted. 

The  first  part  of  the  lot  was  finished  in  about  two 
weeks  and  the  whole  thousand  within  three  weeks. 
The  actual  cost,  including  purchase-price  and  binding, 
Avas  about  |1.06  per  volume.  The  cost,  however,  is 
but  one  of  the  considerations  involved  in  the  experi- 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD  35 

ment.  The  advantages  of  retaining  the  original  ap- 
pearance of  the  books  and  of  uninterrupted  service 
when  once  in  circulation  are  even  more  important 
factors  than  a  saving  in  the  actual  cost. 

The  quality  of  paper  in  most  of  the  Lang  fairy  books 
is  quite  unsuited  to  successful  sewing,  a  condition 
which  is  true  of  much  of  the  calendered  paper  so  much 
used  for  illustrations.  With  the  publishers'  bindings 
the  sewing  is  not  adapted  to  the  quality  of  paper  and 
is  entirely  inadequate  for  library  use;  the  binding 
loosens  after  a  brief  period  that  varies  in  length  with 
the  quality  of  paper  in  the  individual  book  and  with 
the  use.  The  covers  are  almost  a  total  loss  except 
Avliere  it  is  possible  to  use  the  front  again  for  the 
new  covers  of  the  rebound  books.  The  Yellow  fairy 
book  is  of  particularly  heavy  paper,  and  the  strain 
from  the  mere  weight  is  so  great  that  the  sections 
loosen  from  the  slender  threads  used  in  sewing  and 
the  book  soon  falls  from  the  cover. 

A  concerted  appeal  from  children's  librarians, 
backed  by  the  A.  L.  A.  Committee  on  Bookbinding  and 
embodying  intelligent  suggestions  as  to  paper,  might 
result  in  at  least  a  partial  solution  of  the  really  ser- 
ious problem  of  this  large  and  seemingly  indispensable 
class  of  children's  books. 

In  anticipation  of  the  library  exhibit  held  in  cele- 
bration of  the  Shakespeare  Tercentenary,  the  restora- 
tion of  the  whole  Shakespeare  collection  in  the  Central 
Library  has  been  carried  on  during  the  past  winter. 
Man}^  rare  and  valuable  old  volumes  were  newly 
bound,  involving  days  of  painstaking  repair.  The 
labor  of  assembling  about  forty  of  the  old  sets  and 
planning  for  the  uniform  binding  of  the  volumes  in 
each  set,  providing  at  the  same  time  for  a  pleasing 
diversity  in  covers,  in  the  collection  of  more  than  600 
books,  was  no  small  task.  An  inspection  of  the  col- 
lection now  on  the  shelves  would  reveal  nearly  every 
variation  of  material,  color  and  style  of  finish  em- 
ployed in  the  bindery,  from  pressboard  to  full  leather 
with  sold  edses. 


30  THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

In  addition  to  these  three  collections,  more  than 
one  thousand  volumes  from  the  Catholic  Free  Li- 
brary, which  was  taken  over  by  the  St.  Louis  Public 
Library  in  the  winter,  are  being  rebound. 

Reinforcing. 

There  is  some  difference  of  opinion  regarding  the 
feasibility  of  reinforcing  new  books  before  putting 
them  into  circulation.  Some  books  may  be  success- 
fully reinforced,  while  for  others  the  labor  and  ex- 
pense would  be  practically  wasted.  The  object  of  re- 
inforcing is  to  preserve  the  books  in  the  original  pub- 
lishers' bindings  as  long  as  the  covers  are  usable, 
with  the  hope  that  in  some  cases  the  books  will  not 
need  rebinding.  Where  this  is  successfully  done,  books 
should  circulate  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  times  before 
rebinding  (provided  they  are  not  mistreated),  the  ex- 
act number  of  issues  depending  on  the  quality  of 
paper  and  the  publishers'  sewing. 

It  pays  to  reinforce  only  books  of  moderate  size,  of 
good  or  fair  quality  of  paper  (not  spongy,  highly  cal- 
endered, thick  or  heavy)  and  well  sewed.  All  others 
should  be  rejected,  including  small  books  Avhich  are 
well  bound  and  those  which  are  wire-stitched  or 
stabbed.  Before  books  are  taken  apart,  care  should 
be  exercised  to  make  sure  that  they  meet  the  require- 
ments mentioned. 

Our  process  of  reinforcing  is  as  follows :  First,  the 
cover  is  carefully  removed  from  the  book.  The  super 
and  lining  are  stripped  from  the  back,  and  fly-leaves 
are  whipstitched  to  front  and  back,  taking  up  two  or 
three  sections  in  the  sewing.  End-sheets  are  sewed 
on  regularly,  and  the  fly-leaves  are  pasted  to  the  end- 
sheets.  The  back  is  then  treated  to  a  thin  coat  of 
flexible  glue  and  is  very  carefully  and  lightly  backed. 
If  the  sewing  is  broken  in  the  backing,  the  reinforce- 
ment will  be  a  failure.  A  strip  of  canton  flannel  is 
glued  nap-side  to  the  back,  extending  over  on  the  end- 
papers about  3-4  inch. 

Each  cover  is  reinforced  inside  about  1-2  inch  at 
the  top  and  bottom  of  the  back  with  a  strip  of  strong 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD  Si 

light-weight  binding-cloth  about  the  color  of  the  cover, 
the  strip  being  slipped  under  the  folded  cloth  of  the 
cover  and  extending  over  on  the  boards  1-2  inch.  This 
strengthens  the  points  of  hardest  wear.  The  book  is 
then  returned  to  the  cover  and  the  end-sheets  are 
pasted  down  as  in  forwarding,  special  care  being  taken 
with  the  joints.  The  book  is  then  put  in  press  for 
several  hours. 

Before  circulating,  the  covers  of  juvenile  books  are 
given  two  thin  coats  of  white  shellac,  which  not  only 
prevents  finger-marks  from  showing,  but  adds  to  the 
wearing  quality  of  the  binding-cloth  and  makes  it  pos- 
sible to  clean  the  covers  when  soiled. 

Among  the  books  rejected  as  unsuited  for  reinforc- 
ing are  many  which  can  be  issued  but  a  few  times 
before  the  sewing  and  covers  loosen. 

Conspicuous  among  these  are  the  larger  juvenile 
books  printed  on  heavy  or  calendered  paper  and  inade- 
quately sewed,  but  having  in  many  cases  very  attrac- 
tive covers.  These  books  are  taken  apart,  resewed  by 
the  overcast  method  and  returned  to  their  original 
covers,  which  have  been  strengthened  at  top  and  bot- 
tom of  back,  as  in  reinforcing.  Usually  the  sewing 
will  far  outlast  the  cover,  and  the  book  may  be  given 
a  new  cover  in  the  bindery  without  re-sewing.  This 
method  insures  the  full  service  of  the  original  cover 
and  of  a  new  cover  with  but  one  sewing,  although  it 
would  hardly  be  expedient  for  a  library  not  operat- 
ing its  own  bindery. 

If  the  cloth  of  the  covers  is  found  to  be  of  inferior 
quality,  a  full  fabrikoid  cover,  or  a  leather  back  with 
fabrikoid  sides  is  made,  care  being  taken  that  the 
color  combines  tastefully  with  the  ornamental  front, 
which  is  pasted  on  the  new  cover.  Books  treated  in 
this  way  will  seldom  be  returned  for  any  but  slight 
repairs. 

Those  books  which  have  light-colored  or  character- 
less covers  usually  are  allowed  to  circulate  without 
attention  beyond  two  coats  of  shellac. 

After  experimenting  for  a  little  more  than  a  year 
with  reinforcins:  children's  books  and  returning  them 


88  THE  ST.  LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

to  the  publishers'  covers,  we  are  still  undecided  as  to 
the  feasibility  of  mere  reinforcing.  It  seems  that  for 
books  which  are  well  sewed  and  are  fairly  secure  in 
the  covers,  the  difference  in  the  number  of  issues  be- 
tween the  original  binding  and  the  reinforcing  hardly 
justifies  the  expense  in  labor  and  the  delay.  Some- 
times the  cover  breaks  at  the  back  after  a  few  issues, 
while  the  rest  of  the  book  is  still  good,  and  the  volume 
must  be  entirely  rebound  for  that  reason.  And  as 
obviously  it  does  not  pay  to  reinforce  books  which  are 
not  well  sewed,  no  special  advantage  in  reinforcing  is 
realized.  But  for  those  books  previously  mentioned, 
which  can  be  issued  but  a  few  times,  the  process  of 
resewing  while  the  book  is  in  perfect  condition  and  the 
preservation  of  the  cover,  whole  or  in  part,  have  been 
found  to  be  entirely  practicable. 

Further  observation  of  the  books  which  have  been 
reinforced  during  the  past  year  may  prove  that  for 
many  books  the  mere  reinforcing  is  the  economy  which 
some  have  believed  it  to  be.  But  for  the  present,  judg- 
ment in  the  matter  must  be  suspended. 

Periodicals. 

A  file  of  instructions  on  cards  for  the  binding  of  all 
periodicals  and  other  continuations,  giving  informa- 
tion about  indexes,  the  period  covered  by  each  volume, 
the  style  of  binding,  and  any  special  or  peculiar  ar- 
rangement, is  kept  in  the  office,  and  is  an  indispens- 
able aid  in  preparing  for  the  binding  of  periodicals. 
Individual  instruction-slips  accompany  all  volumes 
and  remain  with  them  until  the  binding  is  finished 
and  revised. 

When  magazines  have  no  indexes  and  the  advertise- 
ments are  discarded,  the  "contents"  leaves  of  all  num- 
bers in  the  volume  are  bound,  in  their  proper  order,  in 
front,  the  first  one  serving  as  a  title  page. 

Considerable  use  of  covers  and  advertisements  is 
made  in  the  Library  by  designers,  cartoonists,  art 
students  and  pupils  in  the  city  schools,  as  well  as  by 
searchers  for  advertisements  as  such.  They  are  there- 
fore retained  and  bound  with  the  volumes  for  the  Cen- 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD  39 

tral  Reference  Department,  although  they  are  dis- 
carded from  all  other  magazines.  The  discarded  cov- 
ers are  saved  to  be  used  by  the  branches  for  the  same 
general  purpose  as  for  the  Reference  Department.  The 
notes  on  Contributors  in  the  Atlantic  Monthly  and 
North  American  Revieio  are  saved  and  bound  with 
the  numbers  to  which  they  belong. 

Magazines  having  one  or  two  leaves  missing  are 
bound  with  stubs  where  the  leaves  should  be.  Dupli- 
cate notes  are  made  of  missing  pages,  with  a  record 
of  the  branch  or  department  to  which  the  volume  be- 
longs.   One  of  these  notes  is  sent  to  the  Catalogue  De- 


Magazines  sewed  ox  five  cords.  At  the  front  the  books 
are  shown  as  separated,  the  cords  being  cut  about  an 
inch  from  the  book  on  each  side.    the  cords  of  the  two 

books  at  the  loaver  right  have  been  frayed  and  will  be 

pasted  flat  to  the  muslin  joints. 

partment,  where  an  order  is  sent  for  the  desired  maga- 
zine, and  the  other  is  filed  in  the  office  so  that  when 
the  magazine  is  received  the  volume  may  be  located 
and  the  leaf  inserted. 

Among  the  periodicals,  changes  are  going  on  con- 
stantly which  affect  the  libraries,  sometimes  favor- 
ably but  often  otherwise.  One  magazine  may  consoli- 
date with  another,  retaining  its  own  name  but  adopt- 
ing the  size  of  the  other  magazine.     The  result  is  a 


40  THE  ST.   LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

conspicuous  "jog"  on  the  shelves  when  the  new  size 
begins.  Another  publisher  wakens  some  morning  with 
the  ambitious  notion  of  some  sort  of  change.  Per- 
haps a  subscriber  has  suggested  that  his  publication 
would  be  more  convenient  to  handle  if  issued  in  a 
different  form,  or  a  change  may  seem  desirable  for 
purposes  of  illustration.  So  the  magazine  comes  out 
in  a  new  size  and  form  with  the  March  number,  for 
example;  although  the  volume  runs  from  January  to 
June. 

While  this  publisher  is  enlarging  his  magazine, 
another  is  planning  just  as  industriously  to  reduce  the 
size  of  his  publication.  The  libraries  are  fortunate  if 
he  is  considerate  enough  to  make  the  change  with  the 
beginning  of  a  volume. 

Another  magazine  which  has  been  securely  wire- 
stitched  heretofore,  suddenly  comes  out  with  separate 
leaves  glued  together  at  the  back,  presumably  to  admit 
of  flat  opening.  It  is  needless  to  say  the  leaves  do  not 
remain  long  together,  unless  some  precautionary  meas- 
ures are  taken  by  the  library.  Fortunately,  however, 
most  such  publications  have  resumed  the  former 
method  of  binding  after  an  unsuccessful  trial  of  the 
experiment. 

A  most  remarkable  instance  of  complicated  arrange- 
ment is  found  in  the  case  of  a  technical  periodical 
published  in  several  sections,  having  one  section  paged 
in  Roman  numerals,  the  regular  text  in  Arabic  be- 
ginning with  page  1,  a  special  section  paged  sepa- 
rately— 01  to  024,  for  example — and  a  fourth  section 
paged  in  Roman,  beginning  in  each  number  of  the 
publication  with  page  LII.  The  advertisements  are 
paged  consistently,  beginning  afresh  with  each  new 
number,  and  the  index  is  intelligently  arranged.  Here 
the  publishers  themselves  seem  to  have  realized  the 
situation,  for  the  later  volumes  are  a  model  of  clear 
and  orderly  arrangement. 

An  odd  oversight  sometimes  occurs  where  the  title- 
page  and  index  of  a  magazine  are  found  at  the  end  of 
the  last  number  of  the  volume,  following  the  text.  In- 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD  41 

stead  of  paging  them  in  Roman  numerals  or  leaving 
the  title-page  without  pagination,  both  title  page  and 
index  are  paged  to  follow  the  last  page  of  the  text. 
It  matters  not  how  much  elaborate  care  has  been 
taken  to  make  an  attractive  title-page,  there  is  noth- 
ing to  be  done  but  to  bind  it  as  paged  and  so  consign 
it  to  oblivion,  and  convert  the  first  page  of  the  first 
number  on  which  the  volume  number  is  printed  into 
a  title  page. 

Fine  Bindings. 

During  the  three  years  of  the  existence  of  our  li- 
brary bindery  the  urgency  of  the  need  for  simple,  sub- 
stantial bindings  adapted  to  actual  service,  has  allowed 
little  time  for  fine  binding.  However,  some  valuable 
reference  books  have  afforded  opportunity  for  some- 
thing out  of  the  ordinary  in  the  way  of  decoration, 
and  a  few  books,  of  local  interest  for  the  most  part, 
and  of  a  nature  requiring  artistic  treatment  as  well 
as  fine  materials,  have  served  to  demonstrate  the  skill 
and  ingenuity  of  the  binders. 

Illustrations  from  photographs  are  given  at  the  be- 
ginning of  this  article,  showing  some  of  these  books. 
The  Memorial  bibliography  of  Frederick  Morgan 
Crunden,  consisting  of  a  list  of  the  papers  and  ad- 
dresses of  the  former  Librarian  with  notes  by  Dr. 
Bostwick,  and  "Scratches,"  a  clever  co-operative  prod- 
uct of  the  Catalogue  department  of  the  St.  Louis  Pub- 
lic Library,  are  bound  in  full  levant  morocco,  while 
the  Shakespeare  Guide  has  a  cover  of  less  expensive 
morocco.  The  panel  of  "Keramic  Art  of  Japan"  was 
saved  from  the  old  binding ;  a  full  morocco  cover,  care- 
fully matched,  was  made  and  the  panel  was  used  as 
an  inset.  The  tooling  conceals  the  joining.  All  tool- 
ing and  lettering  were  done  in  gold  and  by  hand.  In 
two  of  the  books  a  band  of  gold  tooling  follows  the 
edge  of  the  leather  inside  the  covers  and  next  to  the 
end-papers,  and  the  edges  of  the  leaves  are  finished 
with  gold. 


42  the  st.  louis  public  library 

Lettering. 

For  the  good  appearance  of  the  book  in  general, 
probably  no  feature  is  more  important  than  the  let- 
tering. It  has  been  our  aim  to  provide  type  in  a  few 
pleasing  styles,  in  which  distinctness  is  always  a  re- 
quisite, and  to  vary  the  general  forms  of  lettering 
somewhat,  by  different  spacing  of  author  and  title,  by 
the  use  or  omission  of  gold  bands  at  the  upper  and 
lower  edges  of  the  back,  bv  skiver  labels  of  various 


Lettering  with  gold  by  hand 

colors  on  some  of  the  larger  books  where  buckram  is 
used,  and  in  divers  other  ways.  The  variations  in 
spacing  and  gold  bands  are  easily  managed  by  finish- 
ing all  books  in  one  way  for  perhaps  a  week  or  two, 
and  then  changing  to  another  style.  Other  variations 
depend  on  the  nature  of  the  individual  books  at  hand. 
The  purpose  of  the  title  is  to  add  interest  to  the 
book,  and  while  it  is  well  to  consider  economy  in  the 
labor  of  lettering,  this  virtue  is  sometimes  overdone. 
Too  strong  a  trace  of  the  kind  of  "efficiency"  that 
omits  all  possible  words,  leaving  only  the  barest  idea 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD 


43 


or  perhaps  none  at  all— robs  the  title  of  all  that  makes 
it  friendly  or  intelligible. 

However,  there  is  the  possibility  of  eliminating 
superfluous  lettering  with  due  care  not  to  exclude  the 
essentials.  Among  the  extras  which  are  omitted  in 
the  St.  Louis  Public  Library  are  the  name  of  the  li- 
brary, call  numbers  on  English  fiction,  adult  and  juve- 
nile (the  Library  does  not  use  author  numbers),  and 
class  numbers  on  Lang  "colored"  fairy  books  and  on 
periodicals,  which  are  shelved  alphabetically  by  title. 


Letterixg  with  the  embossing  press 

A  good  substitute  for  gold  for  lettering  is  carbon 
paper.  For  convenience  a  sheet  of  carbon  paper  is 
tipped  at  the  edges  to  a  piece  of  mill-board.  The  pal- 
let and  type  are  heated  as  for  gold  lettering,  the  type 
is  stamped  on  the  carbon  two  or  three  times  to  "ink" 
it,  and  the  book  is  lettered  as  with  gold.  No  prepara- 
tion of  the  book  is  necessary.  Either  art  vellum  or 
fabrikoid  in  the  lighter  shades  of  red,  brown,  green  or 
gray,  is  suitable  for  carbon  lettering,  and  the  results 
are  equally  good  whether  the  work  is  done  with  an 
embossing  press  or  by  hand.     The  lettering  dries  im- 


44  THE  ST.  LOUIS  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

mediately  and  so  does  not  require  the  space  and  hand- 
line:  necessary  for  ink  lettering;  and  it  wears  remark- 
ably well.  Like  ink,  however,  it  does  not  show  dis- 
tinctly on  the  darker  colors  nor  on  medium  blues. 

Missing  Leaves. 

Usuall}^  a  book  in  the  library  with  one  or  two  miss- 
ing leaves  is  as  truly  crippled  and  out  of  commis- 
sion as  a  man  with  a  broken  arm.  Books  removed 
from  circulation  for  this  reason  are  objects  for  special 
and  immediate  attention.  To  provide  for  this  situa- 
tion a.  collection  of  withdrawn  books  has  been  made 
and  is  maintained,  in  which  the  titles  proven  by  ex- 
perience to  be  most  often  needed  for  the  purpose  are 
well  represented.  As  this  collection  is  shelved  in  the 
stack  (alphabetically  by  author),  a  simple  author  and 
title-list  on  cards  is  kept  in  the  department  office. 

In  spite  of  constant  watchfulness  there  are  always 
some  books  whose  missing  parts  cannot  be  supplied 
from  this  collection  nor  from  the  current  withdrawals. 
These  books  are  shelved  in  the  office  and  a  correspond- 
ing card  list  is  kept.  Occasionally  a  selection  of 
twenty  or  thirty  volumes  is  made  of  those  books  most 
needed;  perfect  copies  are  secured  elsewhere  in  the 
Library,  the  required  leaves  are  copied  by  the  photo- 
stat process  and  the  books  are  soon  restored  to  ser- 
vice. But  this  process  is  as  expensive  as  to  copy  by 
the  typewriter,  if  not  more  so,  and  should  be  em- 
ployed only  in  emergencies  or  as  a  last  resort. 

Now  and  then,  in  the  case  of  primers,  collections 
of  children's  stories,  etc.,  which  are  freely  duplicated 
throughout  the  system,  the  books  are  returned  to  cir- 
culation in  spite  of  the  few  missing  leaves,  the  read- 
ers losing  but  little  because  of  one  incomplete  story 
among  the  other  complete  ones.  The  less  expensive 
geographical  readers,  nature  and  science  books  are 
included  in  this  class.  Except  in  the  cases  of  primers 
and  of  missing  illustrations,  a  note  of  the  missing 
parts  is  penciled  on  the  title  page  of  the  book. 


ne^a'  books  for  old  45 

Cleaning. 

Now  and  then  someone  inquires  if  it  is  really  true 
that  we  wash  books  in  the  St,  Louis  Public  Library. 
The  idea  is  by  no  means  new  with  us,  and  anyone 
who  makes  a  fair  trial  of  the  experiment  will  agree 
that,  to  a  limited  extent,  the  cleaning  of  books  with 
water  is  quite  logical.  Only  the  occasional  book,  how- 
ever, is  subjected  to  this  primitive  treatment,  and 
usually  only  the  few  leaves  which  are  most  soiled  or 
the  place  between  two  leaves  which  bears  evidence  of 
the  presence  at  some  time  of  candy  or  egg  mingled 
with  cookies  or  other  fancy  bakery-goods.  Nor  has 
the  washing  of  books  been  carried  into  such  extensive 
practice  as  to  require  special  laundry  facilities  for 
the  purpose.  In  fact,  our  method  is  very  simple — a 
clean  sponge  or  piece  of  cheesecloth  wrung  (not  too 
dry)  out  of  a  basin  of  clean  water  and  industriously 
though  lightly  applied  to  the  soiled  leaf  by  one  of 
the  repair  assistants,  quickly  produces  a  clean  leaf 
which  is  wiped  lightly  with  a  soft  dry  cloth.  When 
the  damp  leaves  are  nearly  dry  the  book  is  carefully 
closed  and  pressed.  If  the  book  is  of  calendered  paper 
it  is  safer  to  lay  sheets  of  waxed  paper  between  the 
leaves.  If  it  is  necessary  to  clean  the  whole  book, 
which  should  be  rarely  done,  it  is  better  to  clean  a 
few  leaves  at  a  time,  perhaps  twenty  or  thirty,  and 
finish,  dry  and  press  these  before  going  farther.  Where 
the  book  is  very  badly  soiled  and  its  value  and  tlie 
condition  otherwise  justify  the  labor,  a  slight  lather 
of  Ivory  soap  on  the  sponge  or  cloth  applied  to  the 
leaves  and  rinsed  off  with  clear  water,  gives  good  re- 
sults. 

Some  kinds  of  paper  do  not  clean  satisfactorily, 
while  others  look  fresh  and  wholesome  when  dried  and 
pressed.  The  title  pages,  frontispieces  and  first  few 
leaves  of  many  books  may  be  restored  to  respectabil- 
ity by  this  means.  However,  this  cleaning  may  be 
easily  carried  too  far,  at  the  expense  of  the  repair 
work. 


46  the  st.  louis  public  library 

Visitors^  Nights  in  the  Bindery. 

The  binder}'  is  always  a  place  of  lively  interest  on 
Visitors'  Nights,  when  the  Library  is  thrown  open  to 
the  public  and  when  guides  are  provided  to  conduct 
parties  of  visitors  through  the  building.  Some  de- 
partments not  ordinarily  open  to  sight-seers  are  shown 
on  these  occasions,  and  the  bindery  is  one.  Generally 
two  assistants  are  in  charge  to  explain  the  work,  but 
occasionally  on  these  open  nights  the  full  bindery- 
force  is  on  duty,  giving  a  very  good  idea  of  the  work- 
a-day  character  of  the  place  and  showing  in  detail 
the  different  processes  in  their  natural  order.  Men 
and  women  alike  show  intelligent  interest  in  the  rou- 
tine of  bookbinding,  which  they  may  have  had  little 
opportunity  to  see  elsewhere.  But  the  groups  of  chil- 
dren, perhaps  thirty  to  forty  in  number,  from  the 
schools  and  other  institutions  of  the  cit}'  and  duly 
chaperoned,  are  among  the  most  enthusiastic  visitors. 
The  mechanical  character  of  the  work,  Avhich  in  a  gen- 
eral way  they  understand  at  sight,  together  with  the 
spectacle  of  large  numbers  of  books  passing  through 
the  actual  processes,  methodically  and  rapidly,  regard- 


A  FEW   MINUTES    1011   KKCUKATIOX    AT    >"00.\ 


NEW    BOOKS    FOR    OLD  47 

less  of  the  presence  of  a  bevy  of  eager  children  at  the 
elbows  of  the  workers,  absorbs  the  attention.  The 
trimming  of  the  books  in  the  big  cutter,  the  work  of 
the  men  at  the  gluing-machine  where  the  books  are 
covered,  the  piles  of  books  already  sewed  as  they  come 
from  the  sewing  benches,  and  the  lettering,  either  by 
hand  or  with  the  embossing  press,  are  watched  with 
curious  and  admiring  eyes,  and  some  linger  for  one 
more  look  after  the  others  are  gone.  Usually  the  chil- 
dren are  required  to  write  descriptions  of  some  of  the 
things  that  they  have  seen,  for  class-work  the  follow- 
ing day. 

Occasionally  also  classes  from  the  schools,  on  their 
day  tours  among  the  large  institutions  and  business 
places  of  the  city,  visit  the  library  and  the  bindery. 

Conclusion. 

The  organization  and  development  of  the  bindery 
has  been  carried  on  in  the  face  of  many  difficulties, 
which  only  unremitting  labor  could  even  partially 
overcome.  The  discouraging  situation  of  thousands 
of  books  to  be  bound  and  the  impossibility  of  binding 
any  but  those  in  most  urgent  need,  with  the  growth 
of  circulation  making  more  and  more  imperative  de- 
mands on  the  capacity  of  the  binder^',  has  made 
doubly  necessar}?^  a  continual  contriving  and  planning 
towards  the  production  of  the  best  binding  for  the 
largest  number  of  books  at  the  least  cost. 

It  has  been  most  gratifying  to  see  on  the  part  of 
assistants,  both  in  the  office  of  the  department  and  in 
the  bindery,  evidence  of  genuine  interest  and  pride  in 
the  work  and  of  ambition  to  improve  it  and  even  to 
excel  in  it. 

Especial  acknowledgment  is  due  to  the  foreman, 
Mr.  Oscar  R.  Haeckel,  whose  selection  of  the  equip- 
ment has  resulted  in  a  considerable  cash  saving  and 
whose  systematic  management  and  untiring  interest 
in  his  work  have  been  in  a  large  degree  responsible 
for  the  satisfactory  development  of  the  bindery. 


rvc^^t^^  iii 


at«MitCvU«Uk'ili£»:i. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


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